The Journey of Life: A Cultural History of Aging in America (Canto original series) - Softcover

Cole, Thomas R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521595797 ISBN 13: 9780521595797

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1997

Synopsis

The Journey of Life is both a cultural history of aging and a contribution to public dialogues about the meaning and significance of later life. The core of the book shows how central texts and images of Northern middle-class culture, first in Europe and then in America, created and sustained specifically modern images of the life course between the Reformation and World War I. During this long period, secular, scientific, and individualist tendencies steadily eroded ancient and medieval understandings of aging as a mysterious part of the eternal order of things. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, however, postmodern images of life's journey offer a renewed awareness of the spiritual dimensions of later life and new opportunities for growth in an aging society.

About this title

Book Description:

The Journey of Life is both a cultural history of ageing and a contribution to public dialogues about the meaning and significance of later life. It shows how central texts and images of middle-class culture in both Europe and North America created and sustained modern images of life between the Reformation and World War 1, and charts a changing awareness of old age through to the last quarter of the twentieth century.

From Publishers Weekly:

Cole, an associate professor at the University of Texas, here explores the evolution of societal attitudes toward aging, gender and familial ideals from antiquity to the present, discussing both political and philosophical influences. He devotes a major portion of this excellent and accessible scholarly study to examining a wide variety of religious beliefs, many of which envision life as a spiritual pilgrimage. However, with the rise of secular individualism, today's "scientific management" of aging has prolonged the life span, Cole observes, and liberated older men and women of many burdens and duties. On the other hand, he contends, the elderly have been deprived of their traditional cultural roles, special functions and positions in society. Furthermore, he notes, with a youth-oriented culture that tends to consider aging a chronic disease, the spiritual aspects of growing old and of death as natural parts of the life cycle have been slighted. Illustrations.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0521595797
• ISBN 13: 9780521595797
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 298